A Tramp Shining [CD]

This album was released in May 1968 on the Dunhill label. It charted at #4 on the Billboard Album chart, and of course, it's biggest song, MacArthur Park, reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The album itself is a great mix of pop, rock, classical, and even some soul. It was Jimmy's greatest achievement at the time. Richard Harris' vocals are powerful, considering he had never really sang in any of his previous movies, save Camelot. The album's highlight of course, is MacArthur Park. The song has been ridiculed over the years as being too bombastic, over the top, and long winded...and they're correct, but it's still first-class pop, and it's effective. The only thing is the CD really brings out the lousy mix of the original album. I don't know if because this was done quickly, or what, but it's very sloppy. A re-mix for CD might have been needed. If you're a fan of not just Webb or Harris, but of that Bacharach/David-Paul Williams style of pop, this is highly recommended.